When you’re considering which day care to choose for your child, it can be daunting. It’s difficult to evaluate from a distance whether the day care will be right for your needs. This has been compounded during the pandemic, as many day cares are not offering in-person tours or meetings with day care teachers due to public health concerns.
Let’s go through some of what you should be researching as you select a day care for your child.
Teacher qualifications
Every state has licensing requirements that apply to day care and pre-kindergarten teachers. The lead teacher in the room should have a degree stating that they’re qualified for the position. Teaching aides also serve an important role but typically aren’t required to hold the same certification. A quality day care will hire teachers with early childhood education degrees.
Interactions between staff and children
As much as possible, find out about how day care teachers and children interact. If you’re able to tour the facility, witness how the adults speak to the children. Do they yell at them to correct behavior? Are they nurturing and supportive? Are they on their phones, or are they paying attention to the children? Trust your gut when it comes to what you see with the adults and the kids at the day care. Even if you can’t go in person, ask for a virtual tour to get a feel for what the atmosphere is like.
Staff-to-children ratio
Among day care licensing and qualifications are specific numbers of staff-to-children ratios as set by the state. These vary by age—the younger the children are, the greater the number of adults need to be present. No day care should be saddling teachers with high numbers of children. A better staff-to-child ratio means your child is more likely to receive the personalized attention they deserve.
Open-door policy
Make sure that your facility has an open-door policy. This means that parents are allowed to come at any time to check on their children. If a facility doesn’t allow you to do this, then that’s a red flag. Also, you want to ensure that the facility has a security code for each parent to enter on a keypad to enter the building. This is a good sign that the building’s security is adequate.
Potty training policies
If your child is two years or older, then look into what the day care’s policy is on potty training. Some facilities will require children at a certain age to be potty trained before entering. Others will help you with the process. Some will be willing to help your child use the bathroom, whereas others will encourage the child to be more independent. In any event, it’s best to know what the policies are before enrolling your child.
Are you looking for a day care that’s like your child’s home away from home? Then check out everything Happy Hearts on the Hudson has to offer. We’re a family-owned and -operated facility carrying all necessary day care licensing and qualifications. Contact us today for a tour of our brand-new facility.